Method of and apparatus for treating organic substances



Feb. 12 1924. 1,483,668

| F. LITTLE METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR TREATING ORGANIC SUBSTANCES31a/manto@ wmww @Nieuw Feb. 12 1924. 1,483,668

- 1 F. LITTLE METHOD 0F AND APPARATUS FOR TREATING ORGANIC SUBSTANCESFiled May 14, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 46 /5 A. -4 L\ \2 l\ \`1 k \l i E L322,11 TW/,/ l 4 I gwwnlo'r,

L. F. f77/einto the meat; In

Patented Feb. 12, '1924.

UNITED STATES LUCIUS F. LITTLE, 0F OWENSBORO, KENTUCKY.

METHOD 0F ANI) APPARATUS EUR TREATING ORGANIC SUBSTANCES.

Appncmon mea nay 14, 192s. sei-m n. ass,s.1v.

To all whom z't may concern.'

Be it known that I, LUorUs F. LITTLE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Owensboro, in the county of Daviess and State of Kentucky,have invented new and .useful Improvements in Methods of and Apparatusfor Treating Organic Substances. of which the following is aspecification.

The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for curing orconditioning organic substancesJ suchas meat, for the purpose ofimpartingvthereto the fiavor of some particular treating agent, such asvout the body of the mea smoke.

The invention is intended, primarily, for

.the smoking of meat while electrified in accordance W1th thegeneraLmethod disclosed in the patents to Alsop, 1,402,203 and 1,402,-204, granted Jan. 3, 1922.

An object of the invention 'is to provide a method which willsatisfactorily introduce and incorporate the smoke into the l`meat andimpart to the meat the bright ap earance which characterizes meat treateby ordinary methods.

Another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus which willpermit the continuous smoking and drying of the meat after curing,thereby materially shortening the duration of the treatment and thelabor involved in carrying out the method.

Another object of the invention is to provide a method and ap aratuswhich will, in one treatment,` con itiony meats which have been cured bydifferent processes, such as ickle cured, and salt cured meats, 'and wileffect the conditioning of the meats cured by the several processeswithin the same period of time.

The patents referred to disclose a method and apparatus in which themeat is passed through an electric field within'a suitable container andare, at the same time, subjected to the action of a smoking agent. Ihave found that if the meat is subjected to this treatment immediatelafter Ait is cured, or within a comparative y short time, so that itssurface has not dried, and is subsequently conditioned, the smoke will,during the conditioning or d ing, beI more thoroughly and satisfactorllyintroduced racticing the methods heretofore employed) the wet meat, asit comes from the curing treatment, is first dried out bythe smokingfires before t it begins to take up the smoke. The drying actlon of thefires tends toharden the surface of the meat, and as a result', when themeat be ins to take u the smoke the latter 1s not e ciently intro ucedinto the interior thereof.

I have discovered that by taking the meat before it is dried andsimultaneously electrifying Aand smoking the same, the smoke will bequickly deposited upon the meatwithout drying or hardening its surface,and during the subsequent dryin or conditioning 1t w1ll be thoroughly diused through- I have further found that by introducing the meat, as itcomes from the dr ing chamber, again into the smoking an electrifyingchamber to subject it to a final smoking and electrification, the meatis given the brilliant varnish-like surface which is de-y sirable.

Another feature of the invention is the provision of la method andapparatus for simultaneously treating `meats which have been cured byAdifferent processes. There are portions of which may have been curedbyy these different processes, and it is, of course, desirable tocomplete the conditioning of the entire batch within substantially thesame period of time. Briefly, I accomplish this result by dividingthebatch into dis- I tinct portions, according to the'type of cure oramount of moisture contained in the meat. I subject the distinctportions, simu-.l-A taneously and separately, to di'erent degrees oftemperature, .the temperature applied to the different portions beingincreased in proportion to the moisture contents. In this wa the meatswhich have been subjected to t e diierentfcurings `will all be smokedand dried within the same `period of time, thereby permitting thecompletion o f the conditioning treatment of an entire batch in a singleoperation.

In order that the invention may be clear I have shown in theaccompanying drawings an ap aratus desigled to carry out the method)which' has en above indicated in its broader aspects, the apparatusbeing more withtreating agents other than smoke msy e used.

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of the apparatus, and

I 2 is a cross section on the line -2--2 of 1g 1 looking in thedirection of the- Referring to the drawings for a more detaileddescription, 10 indicates a house or container which is substantiallyclosed and is provided with openings 11, 12 in one wall affordin accessto a loading and unloading chamgber 13 formed by a substantiallyvertical partition 14 terminating at its upper end a considerabledistance below the top 15 of a super-structure 16. The compartment isclosed at its lower end 17 by a horizontal extension of the partition14, and access may be had thereto from loading and unloading loors 18adjacent the openings 11 and 12.

A vertical partition 19 extends upwardly from the base orsupport uponwhich the house is located and terminates at the lower .end of thesuper-structure 16, thereby forming a treating or smoking chamber 20having an inlet opening 21 at its upper end land an outlet opening 22,both of which communicate with the interior of the superstructure 16.Preferably, there,is also provided inA conjunction with theA smokingchamber a dryin chamber, and, in the present instance, I ave provided aplurality of such chambers 23, 24 separated, by a vertical partition 25,from each other, and by the partition 19 from the smoking cha-mber.Obviously, any desirable 'number of 1 drying chambers may be provided,andthe two indicated in the illustrated Structure have an opening 26leading from the superstructure 16 and are substantially closed from`each other by vthe partition 25.

` The invention contemplates the provision of means for conducting meatsor other substances from the loading compartment through the smoking"chamber and the drying chamber or chambers, and, preferably, againthrough the smoking chamber before its return to the loading andunloading chamber. The /conveyor illustrated comprises a pair of spacedchains 28 car ing cross bars 29 therebetween and from w ich the meat maybe suspended, as by hooks 30. The conveyor chains pass downwardly at theopenings 11 and 12 over vsprockets 30 l ports 41, at their upper ends.

1,4sa,'eos

and then follow a path upwardly over sprockets 33 into the smokingchamber, through which the conveyor travels downwardly over drivesprockets 31 upona shaft 31 driven from a motor 32 and then upwardly,making its exit through 'the outlet opening 22 into ythe super-structure16, in which are positioned pulleys 34 which di' rect the chains intothe drying chamber.

As will be noted from the views, lthe conveyor follows a zigzag path oftravel in the drying chamber 23 and then into the drying chamber 24,from which it passes back into the smoking chamber on its return totheloading and unloading compartment, where it is accessible through theopenings 11 and 12 for the deposit thereon and removal therefrom ofmeats or other substances to l be treated.

Any suitable means may be provided for introducing smoke or othergaseous treating 'agent into the smoking chamber, and, in the presentinstance, I have diagrammatically indicated at 37 smoke producingapparatus, such as is disclosed in detail in the patent to Alsop,1,447,401, Adated March 6, 1923. The apparatus, which need not bedescribed in detail, comprises a hop er' 38 for saw dust located uponthe exterlor of the house and adapted to deposit a layer of saw dustupon a traveling belt which extends into the chamber beneath theconveyor, suitable burners (not shown) being located beneath the belt toeffect oxidation of the saw dust without its active combustion.Obviously, the invention is not limited to the use of this particularsmoke producing means,

which is shown only for the purpose` of making the entire inventionclear.

A Within the smoking chamber are provided electrodes 40, these beingdisposed, preferably, as shown in Fig. 1, parallel to the runs of theconveyor, the electrodes being in the form of wires hung at their upperends from suitable supports 41 insulated from the smoke house. T-heelectrodes are free at their lower ends and are provided with suitableWeights 42 to maintain them in proper position, although their lowerends could, of course, be'fastenedl to insulating bars or supportssimilar to the bars or sup-v The electrodes are connected in anysuitable -manner with a source of electric current (not shown) and whenconnected in circuit, preferably, become the positive elements or anodesof the apparatus. The conveyor chains 28 and their sprockets aregrounded in any suitable manner-, as, for example, by the' ground wire43, so that they, together with the substances carried on the chain,become, preferably, the negative terminals or cathodes of the apparatus,andan "electrical field is created through which the substances to betreated pass as they travel over the Maanen sprockets` arranged, asshown, inthe smoke face of the meat.

, house. l

Further description of .this feature of the invention is unnecessarysince the same is disclosed in detail in the patents referred tohereinbefore, and it does not constitute a part ofthe present invention.

The drying chambers 23, 24 are, preferably, heated independently, as by`means of steam coils 44.- located below the runs of the conveyor, and bythis arrangement the heat' vided with fluesA 45, and to create asuitable draft of drying airthe super-structure 15 has ues 46, thelatter creating a draft permitting exhaust of the surplus smoke from thesmoking chamber. Access to the smokin and drying compartments may beobtalned through doors 4:7, and the compartment 23 hasfa door 48permitting entrance to the chamber between the runs of the conveyor andgrating 49 serving as a floor for the operator 'to permit inspection ofthe meats. bviously, a similarly positioned entrance and support may beprovided in the other drying compartment, as well as in the smokingchamber.

In 'the operation of the apparatus to carry out the method, the meats orother lsubstances are deposited upon the conveyor ythrough the openings11, 12 and are carried by the conveyor in the direction indicated b thearrows into 'the smoking chamber and tlirough the electrical field. Themeats are placed upon the conveyor, preferably before they are dried andjust after they have come from the soaking vats. While in thiscondition, and while being passed through the smoking chamber to theelectrical field created therein, smoke is deposited upon, the surfaceof the meat without drying 'the sur- This step takes but a few moments,,ordinarily not more than thirty minutes. The meats are then carriedinto the drying chambers and when the conveyor is stopped they areallowed to stand for several hours until thoroughly dried. `During f thedrying operation 'the smoke which has been prevlously deposited upon thewet meat is thoroughly diffused into thebody of the meat, the surfacenot having` been dried or hardened prior to the deposit of the smoke orother gaseous a ent thereon. The period of time required or the dryingoperation varies, and depends, principally, upon the character of thecure to which the meat has been subjected. Generally, meat cured by drysalt will condition in about two hours; box cured meat will require,ordinarily, four hours, and it is not often possible to conditionsweetickled meat under six hours under the ordinary practice heretofore used.

desira Very often, when conditioning and treating abatch of meats,portions thereof will be found to require a longer period of timel forconditioning due to greater 'moisture content. For example, someportions of a batch may have been cured by a sweet pickle process,whereas, another portion may have been cured in dry salt, or ma havebeen subjected to a box-cure. By ,ividing the batch upon the conveyor sothat the portions of substantially the same moisture content, or, inother words, that have been cured by the same process, are located in asingle drying chamber, it is possible, by suitably regulating thetemperaturein the separate chambers, to complete the drying/andconditioning of the entire batch Within the' same period of time. Itvhas been found that a raise of 18 in temperature approximately doublesthe moisture carrying capacity of air. This being the case, thetemperature in the compartments is regulated so that the amount of heatvaries directly as the moisture contents of the meats. For instance, inthe compartment 23, if the box-cured meat is bein-gdried, thetemperature will be considerably lower than in the compartment 24,where, for example, meatsv cured by the sweet pickle process is beingdried. As it is known that salt cured meat will condition` partment asis carried 'out of the adjoiningy compartment 23, in which thesalt-cured meat is 'being conditioned. In this manner the entire batchof meat is dried and conditioned and read to be carried by the conveyorto the un oading compartment 13.

Preferably, as shown in the drawings, the convelyor, in returning 4tothe unloading cham er, passes again through the smoking compartment andhas thereini a downward run 50 and an ascending run 51. By subjectingthe meat to a final smoking and electrifyin treatment it has imparted toit the ble brilliant color, givin'g the same a varnish-like appearance.It has been found that when smoke is deposited on a Warmdry surface itcomes out a bri ht cherry color, Whereas, during the initia smokingoperation the surface of the meat turns a compar- Aatively dull color.It is'for this reason thatconsists in subjecting the meat lto a cure,

2.' The method of treating meat which i treating t simultaneouslyelectrifying them, then dryi is" ing them'` and subsequently giving thema final smoking While simultaneously electrifying them. y

5. The method of treating meat which consists in subjecting the `meat toa cure, smoking the meat and simultaneously electrifying it, and thendrying the meat.

6. The lmethod of treating meat which consists in subjecting the meat toa cure, smoking the meat and simultaneously electriying it, then dryingthe meat and subaoV sequently giving the meat a final smoking.

7. The' method of treating meat which consists in subjecting the meat toa cure, smoking the meat and simultaneously electrifying it, then dryingthe meat and subsequently giving the meat a final smoking Whilesimultaneously electrifying it.

8. The method of treating meat in batches, portions of which have beencured by differeut processes and vary in the amount of containedmoisture, which consists in preliminarily conducting the entire batchthrough a smoke field and smoking the same uniformly, conveying thebatch to suitable drying' means, and' separately and simultaneouslysubjecting the several y portions thereof to different degrees of heat,the heat varying in direct ratio with the moisture whereby` theseveralportions may be dried within substantially the same period of time.

9. The method of treating meat in batches, portions of which have beencured by different processes and vary in the amount of containedmoisture, which consists in preliminarily conducting the entire batchthrough a smoke field and smoking the same uniformly, conveying thebatch to suitable drying means,` separately and simultaneouslysubjecting the several portions thereof to different degrees of heat,the heat varying in direct ratio with the moisture Whereby the severalportions may be dried within substantiallv the same eriod of time, and

- substantially immediate y upon the termination of said drying periodconducting the yentire batch through a smoke ield and giv-l ing the sameatinal smoking.

" 10. The method of drying particles Y of meat in batches, portions ofwhich have been cured by different processes and vary in the amount ofcontained moisture, which consists in subdividing each batch intoportions varying in moisture content` and separately and simultaneouslysubjecting the several portions to different degrees of heat, the heatvarying in direct'ratio with the moisture whereby the several portionsmay be dried within substantially the same period of time.

11. The method of treating substances in batches, portions of which varin moisture content, which consists in slmultaneousl smoking andelectrifyi'ng the entire bate uniformly,.and separately andsimultaneously subjecting the several portions of 'the lbatch todifferent degrees of heat, the heat varying in direct ratio with themoisture wher by the several portions may be dried wit, f substantiallythe same period of time? 12. The method `of treating meat in batches,portions of which vary in moisture content, which consists inpreliminarily and simultaneously smoking and electrifying the entireIbatch uniformly, and separately and simultaneously subjecting theseveral portions f-of the batch to different degrees of heat, the heatvarying in direct ratio with the moisture whereby the several portionsmay be dried within substantially the same period of time.

13. The method of treating substances in batches, portions of which varyin moisture content, which consists in preliminarily and simultaneouslysmoking and electrifying the entirebatch uniformly, separately and si-`multaneously subjecting the 'several portions of the batch to differentdegrees of heat, the heat varying yin direct ratio with the moisturewhereby. the several portions may be dried Within substantially thesamev portion of time, and subsequently smoking and` simultaneouslyelectrifying the entire batch.

.14. AThe method of treating particles of meat in batches, portions ofWhlch vary in moisture content, which consists in preliminarily andsimultaneousl smoking and electrifying the entire batcii uniformly,separately and simultaneously subjecting the several portions of thebatch to different degrecs of heat, the heat varyin in direct ratio withthemoisture whereby 51e several portions ma?,7 be dried withinsubstantially the same period of time, and subsequently smoking andsimultaneously electrifyi tire batch.

15. Apparatus for effecting the continuous treatment of substancescomprising a treating chamber, a drying chamber, an end less carrierhaving a path of' travel through both chambers, means for creating anelectrical fieldV in said treating chamber, the carrier being adapted toconvey the substancesA 'through said field, and means for ng the enmentcham 16. Apparatus forei'ectingv the continuous treatment of substancescomprising a treating chamber, a drying chamber, an endless carrierhaving a path of travel through the treatment chamber', the dryingchamber, and again through the treatment chamber, means for creating anelectrical field in said treating chamber, the carrier being adapted toconvey the substances through said field, and means for introducing agaseous agent into said treatment chamber. I

17. Apparatus for 4edecting the continuous smokmg of meat comprising atreating chamber, a drying chamber, an endless carrier having a path oftravel through both chambers, means for creating an electrical field insaid treating chamber, the carrier `being adapted to convey the meatthrough e said eld, and means for introducing smo into saidv treatmentchamber.

18. A paratus for effecting the continuous smo lng of meat comprising atreating chamber, a drying chamber, an endless carrier having a ath oftravel through the treatment cham er, the drying chamber and againthrough the treatment chamber, means for creating an electrical ield insaid treating chamber, the carrier being adapted to convey the meatthrough said field, and meansfor introducing smoke into said treatmentchamber.

19. Apparatus for eecting the continuous treatment of meat comprising asubstantially closed container, a smoking chamber in said container, adrying chamber in the container, an endless carrier mounted in said'container for the deposit thereon and removal therefrom of meat, meansfor driving said carrier, said carrier having a path of travel throughthe smoking chamber, then through the drying chamber and again throughthe smoking chamber, means for creating an electrical field along andabout the path of movement of said carrier through the smoking chamber,means for introducing smoke into said smoking chamber, and means forheating said drying chamber.

20. Apparatus for eiecting the continuous treatment of meat comprising asubstantially closed container, a smoking chamber in said container, adrying chamber inthe container, an endless carrier mounted in saidcontainer and accessible from the outside of said container for thedeposit thereon and .removal therefrom of meat, means for, driving saidcarrier, said carrier having a path of travel through the smokingchamber, then through the drying chamber and again through the smokingchamber, means for creating an electrical field along` and about thepath of movement of said carrier through the smoking chamber, means forintroducing smoke into said smoking chamber, and means for heatin saiddrying chamber.

21. pparatus of the class described comcompartments bei introducingsmoke to` sald'smoking compartment, and means for heatingl said dryingcompartments to diEerent temperatures, the

heat in said drying compartments being independently regulatable.'

22. Apparatus of the class described comprising a container, a smokingcompartment in said container, a plurality of drying compartments insaid container, an endless carrier mounted in said container andaccessible from the outside of said container for the deposit thereonand removal therefrom of meat, means for driving said carrier, thecarrier having a path of travel through said smoking compartment andsaid drying compartments, means for creating an electrical field alongand about the path of movement of said carrier in the smokingcompartment, means for introducing smoke to said smoking compartment,and means for heating said drying compartments todiderent temperaturesof heat, the heat in said drying table.

23. Apparatus of the class described comprising a. container, a smokingcompartment in said container, a plurality olf drying compartments inthe container, an endless carrier mounted in said container, thecontainer having an opening permitting the deposit of-meat on thecontainer and its removalv therefrom, means for driving said carrier,the carrier having a path of travel through the smoking compartment,then through the drying compartments-and, finally, again through thesmoking compart` ments, means for creating an electrical field..

along and about the path of movement of said carrier 'through thesmoking com-p-artment, and means for independently heat-- ing saiddrying compartments whereby the compartments may be independently heatedto the desired degree of temperature.

24. Apparatus of the class described comprising a smoking chamber and aIplurality of drying chambers. an endless carrier having a' path oftravel through said chambers, means for driving said carrier, means forcreating an electrical field along and about the path of movement ofsaid carrier through the smoking chamber, means for heating said dryingchamber, and means for introducing)V smoke into said smoking chamber.

25. Apparatus of the class described comprising a smoking chamber and aplurality g independently regula' llo of'drying chambers, an endless'carrier hav.- ing a path of travel through said chambers, the carrierbeing adapted to pass through tlie'smokin chamber a second time afterAti traveling t rough the drying chambers,

4 26,. Apparatus of the class described com-v prising a substantiallyclosed container, a loading and unloading compartment in said container,the container having openings in its Wall through which said compartmentis accessible, a smoking compartment in said container, a dryingcompartment in the container, means for introducing smoke into saidsmokingcompartment, means for heating said drying compartment, anendless carrier having a path of travel throughv all of saidcompartments, means for driving said carrier, and means for creating anelectrical held alon andy about the path of movement of sai carrierthrough the smoking compartment. v

. 27 Apparatus of the class described comprising a substantiallyclosedcontainer, a

.':0 loading and unloading compartment in said container, a smokingcompartment in the container and a plurality of drying com# partments inthe container, the container having an opening in its Wall through'which `said smo said loading and unloadin compartment is accessible'means for intro ucing smoke into lring compartment means for in,dependently heating said drying compartments, an endless carrier havinga -path of travel through said compartments, means for driving saidcarrier, and means for creatin an electrical field along and about n thepat of movement of said carrier through the smoking compartment.

, 28. Apparatus of the class described comrising ,a substantially closedcontainer, a

" oading and unloading compartment in said container, a smokingcompartment inthe container and a plurality of 'drying compartments inthe container, the container havingan opening in its Wallthrough whichsaid loading and unloadin compartment is accessible, means for introucing smoke'into 4said smoking'l compartment means for inf dependentlyheating said rying compartments, an endless .carrier having a path oftravel through said compartments, the carv Y rier being adapted, 'topass through lsaid smoking compartment both before and after passingthrough the drying compartments, means for/driving saidcarrier and meansfor creating an electrical field along and about the path of movement ofsaidv carrier through the smoking compartment.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto setl my hand.

LUcIUs F. LITTLE.-

